It is generally accepted that the best drivers find their way into Formula 1 at some point in their careers, but only a handful ever achieve success and greatness on a level measured in multiple wins and titles.
Alain Prost rightly belongs in the latter category, a proven racing winner from the early days of karting and the single-seaters, the preferred career path honing his racing skills until it attracts the attention of Formula 1 bosses, the natural advancement into the intoxicating heights of Formula 1 glitz and glamor. It was Prost’s cool, calculating demeanor that earned him the nickname “The Professor” who thought racing in wet conditions was too dangerous. Prost parked his car and got out.
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Early racing career
About F1
Alain Prost, one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, rose in kart racing, via Formula Renault (1975 champions), Formula 3 (1979 champions), before moving to the big leagues in 1980 and signing for McLaren after rejecting the 1979 season had -End of the Watkins Glen race.
About Prostfan
However, racing wasn’t the first choice. Prost considered a career as a fitness trainer and professional footballer before going karting, before sniffing karts for the first time during a family vacation at the age of 14.
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Two-time world champion, McLaren TAG
Via Twitter
A victorious combination of McLaren chassis and TAG / Porsche power gave Alain Prost two of his world titles, which he won in 1985/86 with five and four victories respectively. Prost was the first double world champion in a row since Jack Brabham won his second title in 1960.
Via Twitter
Five wins in a season doesn’t sound as impressive by modern standards, where a single team often dominates, but things were a little different in 1986. Constancy was the key to winning the title, with up to five different designers achieving racing victories. Alain Prost’s “thinking” approach earned nearly half of his 73-point season on points that earned positions rather than wins. The nickname “Professor” was well deserved.
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Cheers to Senna, team rivalry
About the mirror
With two world championships under his belt, Prost, rightly considered the McLaren team leader, welcomed a new teammate in 1988. The dream team quickly got pissed off, however, with Ayrton Senna believed to be at the end of preferred driver treatment. took the title with eight wins.
About McLaren
The same bitter rivalry between the teams continued in 1989, with Prost leading by points ahead of the penultimate race. Despite a double failure, Prost had secured his third title and promptly left “his” team behind.
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Ferrari years “The Truck”
Via Wikipedia
A dream combination of Ferrari power and world championship title for 1990 got off to a good start with five wins and eight points, Ferrari’s best results for a long time.
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The hopes for the following season titles were nothing more than a series of DNFs and no victories, the season’s best result of second places at the Grand Prix of the USA, France and Spain left Prost in 5th place overall. Poor performance resulted in a number of negative comments, most famously related to his racing car as a “truck”, which resulted in an early termination.
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Plain red, white and blue
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Throughout his F1 career, Prost kept a simple helmet design of three colors, red, white and blue, referencing the French flag, with subtle changes in design, although unmistakably the same basic layout. Compared to modern drivers who change their helmet design whenever they want.
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Physical shape changes make the biggest difference from the early McLaren days to the later, more aerodynamic and safer design of 1993. For the avid Prost F1 fan, several companies produce bespoke replicas that allow gearboxes in the French racing driver colors, for a few dollars of course.
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Final F1 glory and retirement
Via Wikimedia
After a year-long sabbatical in 1992, Prost joined the British Williams team, a team that is riding a wave of success after taking the 1992 title with Nigel Mansell.
About Planet-F1
The Williams FW15C easily helped Alain Prost to seven wins and secured the title for the fourth time with 99 points, over twenty points ahead of second-placed Ayrton Senna. At the end of the season Prost announced his resignation.
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Team ownership. Grand Prix of cheers
Cheers JS45 – Via Wikipedia
With the retirement of racing came the new challenge of team ownership. Alain Prost, who took over the former Ligier F1 team from long-time team boss Flavio Briatore, led to the arrival of the Prost Grand Prix team in 1997. The season started with an early podium visit for Olivier Panis, who finished third in the championship, a high-speed crash that will pay off any further racing success this year.
About Tumgir
A new contract with an engine supplier replaced Mugen Honda’s performance with Peugeot V10s in 1998, turning Prost’s team into a purely French affair. The dream scenario did not produce any results, however: 15 DNFs were recorded in 1998, 14 in the following year and a gloomy 22 DNFs in 2000. The lack of financial support meant the end, the Prost Grand Prix disappeared before 2002 even started.
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Competitive life away from cars
About Richard Mille
Away from the roar of the internal combustion engines, Prost is an avid cyclist and even takes some of the world’s most excruciating routes both on and off-road.
Via Reddit
In 2012-14 with cycling partner Sebastien de Pasqua he mastered the terrifying eight-day Absa Cape Epic 700 km through South Africa, climbing a lung that punished 3000 meters in stages, and Prost finished twice in 2012-13.
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Renault e.Dams – FIA Formula E.
Via Pinterest
In 2014, a new racing series with ecological sustainability celebrated its debut, and a familiar face also returned in the FIA-sanctioned Formula E category. Alain Prost returned to motorsport as a co-owner of Renault e.Dams Racing and led the team to constructors’ titles for three years in a row between 2014-16, culminating in her first driver title with Sebastian Buemi.
Via Pinterest
Prost stayed at the helm until 2017 before sister brand Nissan took over the team and gave up its stake in the outfit.
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The few elite multi-world champions
About Sportskeeda
To become a multiple world champion in Formula 1 is an honor that most drivers never achieve, most of them never realize their dream of a single title. Prost is one of only 33 drivers who have beaten all competitors in a single season and one of the few 17 drivers who have won more than once. According to the current state of the records, only Fangio, Schumacher and Hamilton were more successful.
About Alpine Racing
In twelve seasons with 4 world championship titles, 51 race wins, 33 pole positions and 106 podiums, Alain Prost’s F1 legacy as one of the most successful drivers of all time seems to be secured. Even retirement cannot keep the professor away from motorsport, who is currently working as a special advisor for Renault / Alpine F1 team, the talented racing driver still has a passion for racing.
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About the author
Jason Garbutt
(341 published articles)
Growing up in a car-obsessed environment from an early age, generated a keen interest in everything to do with cars. primarily an F1 fan, but also an avid fan of other motorsports. Professional background who has worked closely with an established UK supercar manufacturer over the past few years.
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